Education Briefs - Week of 4/10

Grand Oak Elementary School, with the support of Coach Kelley Hockensmith, raised $12,054.49 for the American Heart Association. Pictured are the top three participants this year: Reagan Carpenter, second grade; top fundraiser Gregory Murray, first grade; and Sophie Barry, third grade. (Courtesy of Grand Oak Elementary)

Hough High School holds Career Day

CORNELIUS – Nearly 40 companies and individuals attended Hough High School’s first school-wide Career Day on March 12.

FBLA members Matthew Norrito and Matthew Dahlem, cadet Zachary Brisson and their advisors led the planning for the event.

Woodlawn student knows his geography

DAVIDSON – Woodlawn School seventh-grader Angus Ewington was named a semifinalist in the 2014 North Carolina State Geographic Bee.

Ewington won Woodlawn’s annual geographic bee and then took a qualifying test that was submitted to the National Geographic Society. Students with the top 100 scores were invited to compete at the state level April 4 at UNC Charlotte.

Cornelius students win RoboCharlotte

CHARLOTTE – The Robo-Hurricane Crew from Cornelius Elementary School was recently named 2014 RoboCharlotte Champions after winning a March 29 event featuring 19 competing teams.

Each robotics team spent eight months designing, building and programming a LEGO robot to complete a given set of missions.

The Cornelius Elementary Robo-Hurricane Crew advances to the Western North Carolina Robotics Championship on April 12 at Lenoir Rhyne University.

Woodlawn placed in the top five in four of the six events in which students competed, including a first-place showing in experimental design. Woodlawn took second place in mystery architecture, fourth place in astronomy and fifth place in scrambler.

First-place finishers are invited to compete at the state finals April 26 in Raleigh.

Student spurs child abuse presentation

HUNTERSVILLE – Superintendent Heath Morrison recognized North Mecklenburg High School senior Bailey Brooks in his April 4 newsletter for a program she developed as a sophomore to report child abuse.

He thanked Bailey for making the community a “better, safer place for children,” through giving presentations and raising more than $5,000 for agencies that serve children.

Morrison reported that first- and second-graders will learn about child abuse, while secondary students will watch an instructional video as part of Child Abuse Awareness Month.

Blythe observes International Week

HUNTERSVILLE – Blythe Elementary School will wrap up International Week on April 11 with its Parade of Nations, in which students walk through school dressed in the attire of their native countries.

The procession ends in the gym with a cultural assembly that features dance, poetry and songs.

Other activities include classroom research, guest speakers, food and music at lunchtime and decorating hallways.